Apparatus for cleaning ships&#39; bottoms.



No. 732,082 PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

C. JOHNSON.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS BOTTOMS.

APPLICATION FILED 0(1T.11I 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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Attorneys No. 732,082. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

G. JOHNSON. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS BOTTOMS.

APPLICATION IILED 001. 11. 1902.

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Attorneys m: Noam: PETERS co. PHDIO-LITHO.. wAfiumm'om D. c.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

C. JOHNSON.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS BOTTOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 11. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

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inc. 732,082.

UNTTEJD STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFTQE.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SHIPS BOTTCMS.

SPEGlFICATIO N forming' part of Letters Patent No. 732,082, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed October 11, 1902. $erial No. 126,867. (No model.)

To (all 11/71/0772, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at St. George, in the county of Charlotte, in the Province of New Brunswiclr,()anada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Ships Bottoms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device for cleaning the bottoms of ships; and the object of my invention is to provide means for readily and thoroughly scraping away the marine growths and other adhering matters therefrom, so as to leave a clean and smooth bottom. One of the great difficulties to be overcome in producing a satisfactory device of this sort is to cause the scraping device to adhere closely to the side of the vessel, so as to bring suflicient force to bear to cause the bottom to be thoroughly cleaned at all points, whether upon the straight or curved parts of the hull.

One of the particular objects, therefore, is to provide means for holding the scraping device in proper position against the side of the vessel with sufficient force to enable the excrescences to be removed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which can be readily and quickly put up in place and operated by a single chain-hoist, crank, or other power device to scrape the vessels sides and at the same time move the scraping device slowly along in a vertical line around the side.

Further objects of my invention are to pro vide apparatus for conveniently cleaning the ships bottom while afloat, either while the ship is stationary or going at a moderate speed, which can be used in any kind of weather and which can be operatedfrom the deck, which will clean barnacles and other foreign matter from the bottom and leave the latter clean without scraping off the paint, and, finally, which shall be simple in construction, easily worked, and which it broken or out of repair can be easily repaired by any ordinary mechanic.

To these ends my inven ion consist-s, substantially, in a frame carrying revolving scrapingbrushes and having at one end thereof a pulley, over which passes a chain, which leads to .a chain-hoist suitablyoperated from a companion frame fixed lo the side of the vessel, while the other or lower end of the movable frame is secured by means ofa rope which passes beneath the keel and upon the other side and around suitable pulley-blocks and has a weight attached thereto, so as to hold said rope stretched. Furthermore, I provide a screw-propeller 011 the outer face of the movable frame which is adapted to be operated by means of the chainshoist in the same manner as the brushes and to be rotated rapidly in such a direction as to cause 7 a reactive effect to press the frame against the side of the vessel, the operation of the chain being such as to simultaneously cause the rotation of the pulley on said movable frame, over which the chain passes and by reason of the dilferential-ho'ist mechanism upon the stationary frame on the side of the vessel to cause said movable frame to be slowly hoisted.

My invention further consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawings'accompanying this specification I have shown the most approved form of my apparatus, and herein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship, showing my apparatus for cleaning the bottom thereof attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a midshipssection of the vessel, illustrating the apparatus in the same position as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the essential parts of the mechanism byitself. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a section through the movable frame carrying the brushes, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is. a plan view of the hoistingframe, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the ratchet-clutch mechanism on the main shaft of the movable frame. Fig. 8 is a side view of the ratchet-clutch. r

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The apparatus consists, in the main, of a movable or scraping frame 8, which carries.

a pair of rotary brushes 9 and is adapted to be moved up and down the sides of the vessel diate point to pass over the gear 27.

and longitudinally of the same to perform the actual work of cleaning the bottom, and, secondly, of a'stationary or hoisting frame 10, which is secured to the side of the vessel (designated 11) and carries an overhanging hoisting-gear 12, comprising difierential pulleys, over which passes an endless chain 13, connecting the stationary frame operatively with the movable frame by means'of the chainpulley 14. The frame 8, as shown in the drawings, comprises a pair of upright beams 15, which are joined together at the lower side by a transverse beam 16 and at the center on both sides of the beams 15 by a pair of beams 17. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) At the upper end of the frame is journaled a main shaft 18 between the ends of the two beams 15, and on this is loosely mounted the chain-pulley 14, over which passes the chain 13. The pulley 14 is confined against lateral motion to the right, Figs. 3 and 7, by a collar 19, fixed to theshaft 18, and on the left is operatively connected to the shaft 18 by a ratchet-clutch comprising a cylindrical collar 20, in which are mounted a pair of reciprocating bolts 21, which slide in recesses 22, formed parallel to the shaft 18 in the collar 20, and are adapted to be engaged with ratchet-teeth 23, formed on the face of the pulley 14, the bolts 21 being held in engagement with the teeth 23 by means of springs 24 abutting against their ends and the bottom of the holes 22. The arrangement is such that a hoisting movement of the chain 13 (indicated by the direction of the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4) will cause the pulley 14 to engage the bolts 21. positively, and thereby turn the shaft 18; but when the shaft is lowered the pulley 14is rotated in the opposite direction, and it clicks loosely over the bolts 21 without turning the. shaft 18.

The two rotary brushes 9 are journaled on suitable axles 25 and 26, respectively, and each carries a sprocket-gear 27 and 28 on its end overhanging the beams 15, in which the axles are journaled.

The gears 27 and 28 are on opposite sides of the frame, as shown, and they are operatively connected with the shaft 18 by means of sprocket-chains 29 and 30, passing over sprocket-pulleys 31 and 32 on opposite ends of the shaft 18.

At the center of the frame 8 and journaled between the two beams 17 in a position at right angles to the plane of the frame is a short propeller-shaft 33, which carries on its outer end a screw-propeller 34, and between its bearings it has mounted thereon a bevelgear 35, which meshes with another bevelgear 36 on a short counter-shaft 37, which is journaled at one end in a block 38, spanning the space between the two beams 17, and at the other end in the right-end beam 15. This shaft 37 is connected to the shaft 18 likewise by means of the chain 29, which, as shown, passes around the sprocket-gear 39 on the end of the shaft 37 and is bowed at an interme- The effect of these connections is that when the shaft 18 is rotated the two brushes 9 are re tated rapidly in opposite directions and at the same time the propeller 34 is set in rotation in the direction of the arrow, so as to produce a reaction which forces the brushes against the side of the vessel with sufficient force to remove the growths therefrom, while at the same time the propeller creates a ourrent out through the center of the frame and away from the brushes, thus conveying away the removed material and-dirt as fast as it is removed.

I further provide the frame 15 with a set of four rollers 40 at the corners thereof, which are adjustably mounted in slots 41 and are arranged to be suitably adjusted so as to hold 4 the brushes at the proper distance from the side and remove the friction caused by hoisting the frame along the side of the vessel. At the bottom of the frame there is provided a hook or eye 42, which is secured to the transverse beam 16 and provides means for attachment for a rope 43, which passes beneath the keel of the vessel and up on the other side, thence around a pulley-block 44, mounted on a bracket 45, secured to the side of the vessel, and around the blocks 46 and a tackle to whose lower end is connected a weight 47, which may be allowed to descend into the hold of the vessel through the hatchway 48, so as to hold the rope 43 tant in all positions of the frame 8.

The stationary frame 10, which carries the means of operating the chain 13, comprises a pair of parallel beams 49, which are adapted to extend over the side of the vessel and have clamping means, such as a pairof jaws 50, depending therefrom to enable the frame to be secured to the gunwale or other suitable part of the vessel. The beams 49 are connected by transverse beams 51 and 52, on which is mounted in journal-blocks 53 2. laterally-projecting shaft 54, whose inner end may be provided with a pulley 55, or, if desired, a crank or other means for operating the same by hand, and on the outer end of the shaft 54 is fixed a bevel-pinion 56, which meshes with a bevel gear-wheel 57, keyed to the longitudinal shaft 58, which is journaled in blocks 59, supported by the beams 49; The gear 57 forms a part of the block 60, having formed thereon one-of the d fierential wheels, 61, of the chain-hoist, the other,-62, being formed on anotherblock 63, which has a brake-pulley 64, formed side by side thereof.

The block 63 is arranged to turn loosely on' the shaft 58, except when connected opera tively thereto by a clutch-block 65, which has crown-teeth 66 on its end engaging with similar crown-teeth 67, formed on the block 63.

pivoted on a pin 70, carried by the beam 51,

and has a handle 71, extending into a convenient position for operation from the deck.

Further, around the brake-pulley 64 passes a friction-strap 72, one end of which is secured upon a bar 73 to the beam while the other end is pivotally connected to the end of the lever 74, pivoted in horizontal bearings 75 and having a handle 76, likewise extending into convenient position for operation from the deck. The chain-pulley 62 is smaller than the pulley 61, as shown, having one less tooth thereon, and when the clutchblock 65 is shifted by the handle 71 into the position shown in Fig. 3 the pulley-block 63 is operatively fixed to the shaft, so as to cause the pulley 62 to rotate, and thus act in conjunction with the pulley 61 as a differential hoist in slowly raising the frame 8, while at the same time the pulley 14 is rotated. In loweringthe frame 15, however, the clutchblock is shifted toward the left and the block 63 allowed to turn loosely, thus letting out the slack in the chain 13 rapidly until the frame 8 has reached its lowest point,where it is desired to begin the scraping operation.

I preferably provide a trough 77, secured to the beam 52 and extending beneath the free end of the chain as it runs from the pulley 61 to receive the slack and prevent it from becoming entangled with the active portion of the chain.

In setting up the apparatus the drivinggear is fixed on the ships side wherever the work is to bebegun, with the chain 13 reeved through the successive pulleys 61, 14, and 62 in the manner of an ordinary differential hoist. The slack is all taken in, so as to hold the frame 8 close to the frame 10, the tackle 46 being in proper position. One end of the rope 43 is now taken to the bow of the ship, passed under the head gear, and reeved through the leader 78, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) this being attached in the center to a foreand-aft rope 79. The rope 79 is next drawn down to position, its end being carried to the stern of the ship and hauled in until the leader is directly under the hoisting-frame and its ends are both made fast to cleats 80. This holds the rope 43 in proper position and keeps it from becoming skewed. The end of the rope 43 is next fastened to the eyebolt 42 at the lower end of the frame 8. During this time the clutch-block 65 should be in the position shown in Fig. 3 to prevent the chain 13 from running out, and of course the pulley 55 is held against backward motion. Next the frame 8 is lowered to the keel of the vessel by releasing the clutch-block 65 from ongagement with the block 63, thereby allowing the slack 13 to run out, the rapidity of the motion being regulated by pressing upon the brake-handle 76, operating through the strap 72. The chain 13 is thus let out until the frame 8 reaches the keel, while at the same time the rope 43 is taken in on the other side and the weight 47 lowered into the hold.

If not convenient to let the weight run into the hold of the vessel, it can of course be taken up to a reasonable height above the deck. The apparatus is now in position for operation, which is performed by again throwin g the clutch-block 65 into engagement with the block 63 and hoisting on the messengerchain 81, passing over the pulley 55. By this means the chain 13 is drawn in upon the pulley 61 and let out at a less rate of speed upon the pulley 62, thus slowly hoisting the frame 8,while atthe same time the pulleyl4is kept in sufficiently rapid rotation to scrape the ships bottom to the requisite extent, and at the same time the propeller 34 is driven around in the manner already described. The apparatus will thus slowly come up the side of the ship, cleaning a space equal to its own width, while the rope 43, with the weight on its opposite end, holds itstraight. When astrip up to the water-level has been cleaned in this manner, the hoist-frame is shifted to a distance equal to the width of the apparatus and the foreand-aft rope 79 slacked at one end and hauled in at the other the same distance, and the machine is lowered down and hauled up again in the same manner as before, and this is continued until the bottom is. completely cleaned. To expedite the work, of course any number of machines may be usedat once, only a single rope 79 being necessary, this being provided with a leader 78 for each apparatus to keep them at equal distances from each other.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not limit my self to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed without affecting the operativeness of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as are included within the scope of the following claims or of mechanical equivalents thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,'is

1. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottom comprising a movable frame, rotary devices carried thereby forcleaning the bottom, a differential chain-hoist adapted to be attached to the side of the vessel, a pulley mounted on the movableframe over which the chain of said hoist passes, a shaft on which said pulley is mounted, and means operatively connecting said pulley with said rotary cleaning devices, substantially as described.

2. An apparatusfor cleaningships bottoms comprising a movable frame, rotary devices carried thereby for cleaning the bottom, a differential chain-hoist adapted to be attached to the side of the vessel, a pulley mounted on said movable frame and over which the chain of said hoist passes, a shaft on which said pulley is mounted, means operatively connecting said pulley with said rotary cleaning devices,

anda propeller placed at right angles to the plane of said frame and adapted to be operated by said pulley.

3. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a movable frame, rotary cleaning devices journaled therein, a propeller-shaft perpendicular to the plane of said frame, mechanical connections between said propeller and rotary cleaning devices, a shaft j ournaled in said frame from which said rotary devices and propeller are operated, a chain-hoist operated from the deck of the vessel, and a pulley mounted on said shaft around which the chain of said hoist passes, whereby to simultaneously rotate said shaft and hoist said frame.

4. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a movable frame, rotary cleaning devices journaled therein, a propeller-shaft perpendicular to the plane of said frame, me-- chanical connections between said propeller and rotary cleaning devices, a shaft journaled in said frame from which said rotary devices and propeller are operated, a chain-hoist operated from the deck of the vessel, a pulley mounted on said shaft around which the chain of said hoist passes, whereby to simultaneously rotate said shaft and hoist said frame, a rope attached at one end to the lower side of said frame and passing beneath the keel of the vessel and up on the other side thereof, and tension devices attached to the free end of said rope, whereby to keep the same taut.

5. An apparatus forcleaning ships bottoms comprising a rectangular framework, a pair of rotary brushes journaled therein, a main shaftjournaled at the upper end ofsaid framework parallel to said rotary brushes, means for operating said shaft, a pair of sprocketgears on the ends of said shaft, a sprocketgear on each of said rotary brushes and sprocket chains connecting the respective sprocket-wheels, substantially as described.

6. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a rectangular frame, a pair of rotary'brushes journaled therein on horizontal axes, a main shaft journaled in the upper end I of said frame parallel to said rotary brushes, a screw-propeller journaled on an axis perpendicular to the plane of said frame, gearing connecting said main shaft with the respective brushes and said propeller, and means for rotating said main shaft.

7. An apparatusforcleaningships bottoms comprising a rectangular frame, a pair of rotary brushes journaled on horizontal axes therein at the upper and lower ends of the frame respectively, a horizontal main shaft journaled at the upper end of the frame, a propeller-shaft journaled in the center of the frame in a plane perpendicular thereto, a counter-shaft parallel to said main shaft, intermeshing gears carried by said propellershaft and counter-shaft, a sprocket-gear on each end of the main shaft, a sprocket-gear on each of said rotary brushes, a sprocketwheel mounted on the end of said countershaft, a pair of sprocket-chains one of which connects the lower rotary brush with themain shaft and the other the main shaft with the counter-shaft and the intermediate portion of I which actuates the upper rotary brush, and means for rotating said main shaft.

8. Anapparatusforcleaningshipsbottoms comprising a rectangular frame, a pair of brushes journaled on horizontal axes therein at the upper and lower ends of the frame respectively, a horizontal main shaft journaled at the upper end of the frame, a propellershaft journaled in the center of the frame in a plane perpendicular thereto, a counter-shaft parallel to said main shaft, intermeshing gears carried by said propeller shaft and counter-shaft, a sprocket-gear on each end of the main shaft, a sprocket -gear on each of said rotary brushes, a sprocket-wheel mounted on the end of said counter-shaft, a pair of sprocketchains one of which connects the lower rotary brush with the main shaft and the other the main shaft with the countershaft and the intermediate portion of which actuates the upper rotary brush, a chainpulley loosely journaled on said main shaft, a ratchet-clutch connection between-said pulley and said main shaft, whereby it is caused to operate said main shaft in one direction only, and a series of adjustable antifrictionrollers on the inner side of said frame.

9. In an apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms, the combination of a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a horizontal shaft journaled in said frame longitudinally of the vessel, a block carrying a chain-pulley and a bevel-gear mounted thereon, an operating-shaft having a gearpinion intermeshingwith said gear and means for applying power to the same, a second chain-gearing slightly different in size from said first-mentioned gear and loosely mounted on said shaft, a friction-brake acting on said second chain-pulley, and means for temporarily clutching said chain pulleys together, substantially as described.

10. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a differential chain-hoist comprising a pair of unequal chain-pulleys rotatably mounted therein, means for clutching said pulleys together, means for simultaneously rotating said pul: leys, a movable frame carrying a rotary cleaning apparatus therein, a chain passing over said chain pulleys, a third chain -pulley mounted on said movable frame and operatively connected with said rotary cleaning devices and over which said chain passes, and a flexible connection secured to the lower end of said movable frame and passing beneath the keel of the vessel and up on the other side and having tension devices attached thereto.

11. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a differential chain-hoist comprising a pair of unequal chain-pulleys rotatably mounted therein, means for clutching said pulleys together, means for simultaneously rotating said pulleys, a movable frame carrying rotary cleaning apparatus therein, a chain passing over said chain-pulleys, a third chain-pulley mounted on said movable frame and operatively connected with said rotary cleaning devices and over which said chain passes, a propeller mounted on an axis perpendicular to said movable frame and operated from said third pulley whereby to cause said frame to bear against the side of the vessel, and a flexible connection secured to the lower end of said movable frame and passing beneath the keel of the vessel and up on the other side and having tension devices attached thereto.

12. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprisinga hoisting-frame adapted to be mounted on the side of the vessel, a movable frame adapted to be moved along the bottom of the vessel, rotary cleaning devices carried by said frame, a differential chainhoist mounted on said hoist-frame and the chain whereof is operatively engaged with said movable frame to simultaneously rotate the said cleaning devices and hoist the frame, a flexible connection passing beneath the keel of the vessel and up on the opposite side, a tackle-fall to which the end of said connection is secured, and a longitudinal rope having its ends secured at the bow and stern of the vessel and having a leader at an intermediate point through which said flexible connection passes.

13. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a horizontal shaft mounted in said frame longitudinally of the vessel, a pair of differential chainpulleys mounted on said shaft, a clutch for interlocking said pulleys together, gearing applied to one of said pulleys, a power-shaft connected with said gearing, means for applying power to said power-shaft, a movable cleaningframe adapted to be suspended against the side of the vessel, rotary cleaning devices carried therein, a main shaft journaled in said cleaning-frame, operative connections between said main shaft and cleaning devices, a chain-pulley mounted on said main shaft, a chain passing over said lastmentioned chain-pulley and over said differential pulleys, a ratchet-clutch between said main shaft of the movable frame and the chain-pulley mounted thereon, whereby to cause the latter to turn the shaft in one direction only, and a tension device applied to the lower end of said movable frame to hold it against the side of the vessel, substantially as described.

14. An apparatus for cleaning ships bot toms comprising a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a horizontal shaft mounted in said frame longitudinally of the vessel, a pair of differential chain-pulleys mounted on said shaft, a clutch for interlocking said pulleys together, gearing applied to one of said pulleys, a powershaft connected with said gearing, means for applying power to said power-shaft, a movable cleaning-frame adapted to be suspended against the side of the vessel, rotary cleaning devices carried therein, a main shaft journaled in said cleaning-frame, operative connections between said main shaft and cleaning devices, a chain-pulley mounted on said main shaft, a chain passing over said lastnamed chain-pulley and over said differential pulleys, a ratchet-clutch between said main shaft of the movable frame and the chain-pulley mounted thereon, whereby to cause the latter to turn the shaft in one direction only, and a propeller rotating on an axis perpendicular to the plane of said movable frame, whereby to hold the latter against the side of the vessel.

15. An apparatus for cleaning ships bottoms comprising a hoisting-frame adapted to be secured to the side of the vessel, a horizontal shaft mounted in said frame longitudinally of the vessel, a pair of differential chain-pulleys mounted on said shaft, a clutch for interlocking said pulleys together, gearing applied to one of said pulleys, apowershaft connected with said gearing, means for applying the power to. said power-shaft, a movable cleaning-frame adapted to be sus- 1w pended against the side of the vessel, rotary cleaning devices carried therein, a main shaft journaled in said cleaning-frame, operative connections between said main shaft and cleaning devices, a chain-pulley mounted on said main shaft, a chain passing over said last-mentioned chainpulley and over said difierential pulleys, a ratchet-clutch between said main shaft of the movable frame and the chain-pulley mounted thereon, whereby to cause the latter to turn the shaft in one direction only, a tension device applied to the lower end of said movable frame to hold it against the side of the vessel, and a handoperated brake acting on said loose chain- 11 5 pulley on the hoisting-frame, whereby to regulate the speed with which said movable frame is lowered into place, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

OSCAR DEsAUTELs, J. A. MARION. 

